We have fought to the Arctic Circle, and you want me to inherit the throne?

Chapter 937 The Imperial Scholar

Upon hearing this, Huai En was slightly surprised. The Feng Army, which had always been invincible, had actually suffered a defeat in Shu.

He knew his place; eunuchs should not participate in politics, especially someone like himself who was the emperor's personal eunuch.

But since this is in private, His Majesty clearly wants me to speak with him.

So he boldly accepted the battle report with both hands.

He glanced at it quickly and cautiously asked, "Your Majesty, is it because our soldiers have come from afar and are suffering from acclimatization problems that the battle has been delayed?"

Li Che shook his head: "I provide the best food, drink and supplies for the soldiers on the front lines, and the military medical supplies are also fully equipped. I have also hired local guides."

"Even though a few people fell ill due to the change in environment, the vast majority of soldiers were still able to maintain their fighting strength."

Huai En looked puzzled: "If that's the case, with the strength of Daqing's army and the ability of its generals, why has the mere Shu region been unable to be conquered for so long, and even suffered this counterattack?"

“The method is wrong.” Li Che stood up, walked to the huge map hanging in the sky, and pointed to the location of Shu. “The people of Shu are fierce and have a strong sense of hometown.”

"Fourth Brother and his men led their army all the way in. In the eyes of the local people, how were we, these outsiders, any different from the enemies who invaded their homes?"

"They will naturally unite in their hatred of the enemy and fight back bravely. They are facing not only the Shu army, but also millions of Shu people."

Huai En frowned, clearly puzzled: "But Your Majesty, our army is a royal army sent by the mandate of Heaven to unify the world."

"Moreover, our army is strictly disciplined and does not harm the people in the slightest. Why do the people not understand the greater good and instead resist the royal army?"

Li Che turned around, his gaze deep: "Huai'en, you must remember, for ordinary people, they cannot distinguish, nor do they need to distinguish, who is on the side of justice."

"What they saw was an army in unfamiliar armor, carrying guns and weapons, entering their homeland."

"When guns and cannons roar, fields are destroyed, and families are torn apart. What do you think they will think? What will they do?"

Huai En was slightly taken aback. Although he was intelligent and quick-witted, his understanding of ordinary people was still somewhat lacking.

Upon hearing Li Che's guidance, she immediately gained some insight and bowed, saying, "This servant is foolish and thought too simply."

Li Che told him all this not to waste his breath or to satisfy his love of being a teacher.

In the future, Huai En will lead a fleet to Southeast Asia, where he will encounter countless indigenous people. The current situation in Sichuan is just the daily life that Huai En will face in the future.

Even in colonization, there must be proper methods and approaches; one cannot simply exploit the indigenous people.

"It's alright." Li Che waved his hand. "Write a letter to Fourth Brother for me in the form of a private letter."

He pondered for a moment, then said, "Tell them to postpone the large-scale offensive, and where the army is stationed, to help the people dig wells, build bridges, and pave roads."

"It is better to let the soldiers sweat more and help the people solve practical difficulties than to launch an attack lightly, causing unnecessary casualties and hatred."

"We must calm down and let the people of Sichuan know that our Daqing army is here to help them live a good life, not to plunder them."

"Do not concern yourself with the gains or losses of a single city or place, nor be fixated on a quick victory. The fundamental thing is whether the people's hearts are with you."

Huai En quickly accepted the order: "Yes, this servant will do it right away."

Li Che looked at the battle report, stroking his chin with interest: "However, the general who commanded the Shu army's counterattack is actually a woman?"

"Named Luo Yueniang? Interesting...truly interesting."

. . . . . .

After processing the war reports from Shu, Li Che rested for a while before continuing to review the examination papers.

The workload of grading the papers is enormous, given that there are over six hundred exam papers.

Although some court officials had already read through it, Li Che could not be lazy and had to personally review each document.

Only in this way can we remember the abilities and inclinations of these future ministers, so that everyone can make the best use of their talents in the future.

Li Che casually picked up a paper from the stack, his gaze falling on the name; it was Zhang Qian's exam paper.

Li Che read it extremely carefully, first reviewing the first half he had read during the previous palace examination.

The latter half, which I had not yet seen, I savored word by word.

After a long while, Li Che slowly put down the test paper, his eyes filled with even more admiration.

He said to Huai En, who was standing to the side, "Having reviewed all the papers, I can say that Zhang Qian's essay, which ranks first, is the best!"

Huai En quickly bowed and agreed: "Your Majesty has discerning eyes. The top candidate on the list is young and promising. He comes from humble origins but has the world in his heart. This is truly a blessing for our Daqing."

Li Che then pulled out several other exam papers that had been rated as 'excellent' by several examiners.

These articles either use precise allusions to learn from history, or are ornate and easy to read aloud, or are grand in style to discuss the gains and losses of the past and present.

All of them are masterpieces.

But for some reason, after comparing them, Li Che always felt that these articles were not as good as Zhang Qian's.

He quickly glanced at the remaining papers, which were mostly copied from others and had nothing of note.

At this point, Li Che had no more hesitation.

He picked up the vermilion brush and drew a circle on Zhang Qian's exam paper with force.

Beside it, two large vermilion characters were written in vigorous strokes:

"Number one!"